The latest GoPro HERO7 update brings 4K slow motion, HyperSmooth and TimeWarp to the Black model. What does it look like and what is the difference between the Silver and the White model?
We caught up with GoPro at Photokina 2018 and went hands-on with the latest HERO7 Black to check out two new features: HyperSmooth and TimeWarp, as well as the difference between the other models in the HERO7 family. The GoPro HERO7 Black certainly packs a punch, promising very smooth 4K 60p footage. GoPro’s have been a staple tiny camera for productions all over the world, so what makes the HERO7 family stand out?
How Smooth Is HyperSmooth?
HyperSmooth is one of the new key features built into the GoPro HERO7 Black. It is 3-axis electronic stabilization that has a 10x crop on the image. GoPro claims it is the equivalent – if not better – than using a handheld gimbal to achieve stable shots. Naturally, we had to check it out on the show floor, and directly compare it to another HERO7 Black with HyperSmooth switched off.
The footage in the video shows that although there is a slight (not significant) crop on the image, the electronic stabilisation functions very well while walking and running. What is interesting: The lack of ‘jello’ similar to the ‘warp stabilizer’ effect on the edges of the video, making the clip more than suitable. This isn’t exactly a full test on a mountain bike or under extreme conditions, so this will be one of the features we will look at extensively in our upcoming review.
Create Hyperlapses inside the GoPro HERO7 Black
GoPro’s have always been great for capturing time-lapses; they are small, capture a wide field of view and can run for as long as the battery lasts or until the memory runs out. GoPro has extended the time-lapse feature in the Black model by adding TimeWarp, which allows the user to create moving time-lapses, or ‘hyperlapses’, that stitch the images together in-camera. We tested it and this is also very stable, without the usual shakes – something that you have to be very careful to avoid when capturing time-lapses or a hyperlapse.
Achieve super slow motion
One of the stand-out features of GoPro cameras has always been achieving slow motion at high resolutions in a tiny body. The HERO7 Black offers 4K resolution at 50/60p, and super slow motion in 1080 HD at 240fps. The Silver and White models miss out on this high frame rate action, with the Silver being capable of recording 4K 25/30p and 1080 HD up to 60fps. The HERO7 White is unable to record 4K, but capable of capturing 1080 HD up to 60fps.
Why the significant difference between the GoPro HERO7 models?
What is apparent with the HERO7 family is that GoPro still wishes to keep user groups segmented. Through research, GoPro has found out that there are set user groups that require or only use specific features; the White model is for users that simply want to take the GoPro out of the box and have it working, without changing many settings. Whereas the Black model is aimed at experienced users that want to push the boundaries on capturing content, whether that is a hyperlapse of a hike, slow motion skiing or filming fast moving vehicles where the Hypersmooth feature is required. These features are exclusive to the GoPro HERO7 Black model, with built-in electronic stabilization available in the Silver and White models (no info on crop or quality of this yet).
Overall, if you’re looking for the next level action camera, there is no other device with features like the GoPro HERO7. It’s unfortunate that so many features were withheld from the Silver and White model, but at its price tag of $399.00, that probably won’t stop users from investing.
We’ll be putting the GoPro HERO7 Black through its paces in the near future, are there any specific features you wish to see demonstrated when we review the camera? Let us know in the comments.

Today GoPro announced its new product lineup of action cameras – The GoPro HERO7 Black, HERO7 Silver and HERO7 White. According to GoPro, the flagship HERO7 Black brings a new level of video stabilization with the HyperSmooth feature, as well as TimeWarp and enhanced audio. Also, GoPro is giving away $1,000,000 for the best HERO7 Black footage in their “Million Dollar Challenge”.
What’s Really New in the GoPro HERO7 Black
Innovations include live streaming, TimeWarp (hyper-lapse), enhanced audio and the built-in stabilization called HyperSmooth. When it comes to frame rates or resolutions, the HERO7 Black does not bring anything new in comparison to the Hero6 Black.
HyperSmooth is, according to GoPro, the best in-camera video stabilization ever featured in a camera – and they even use the term “gimbal-like”. This stabilization should now apply to all frame rates and resolutions. The Hero6 Black already had some stabilization, but the 4K60fps mode was not stabilized. Take a look at the HyperSmooth demonstration video:
TimeWarp is a feature that creates a stabilized hyper-lapse clip from a video at up to 30x the speed.
The HERO7 Black is the first GoPro to support live streaming, making it possible to automatically share footage on Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, Vimeo and other platforms internationally, in real-time. It simultaneously saves the streamed videos to the SD card in high definition.
GoPro is offering a free 32GB microSD card with every new GoPro HERO7 purchase.
GoPro HERO7 Black Features
Video resolutions: 3840 x 2880 at 24/25/30 fps, 3840 x 2160p at 24/25/30/50/60 fps, 2704 x 2028p at 24/25/30/50/60 fps (MP4), 2704 x 1520p at 24/25/30/50/60/100/120 fps, 1920 x 1440p at 24/25/30/50/60 fps, 1920 x 1080p at 24/25/30/50/60/100/120/240 fps
Supports both video formats: MP4 (H.264/AVC), MP4 (H.265/HVEC)
Maximum bitrate is 78 Mb/s (in 4K)
12MP photos with SuperPhoto feature – Intelligent scene analyzation for automatic applied HDR, local tone mapping and multi-frame noise reduction
Dimensions of the camera: 62.3 W x 44.9 H x 33 D (mm), which seems to be slightly smaller than the Hero6 Black.
Portrait Mode – native vertical-capture for easy sharing to Instagram Stories, Snapchat and more
Enhanced audio – using 3 microphones, the audio should have increased dynamic range. New microphone membrane reduces unwanted vibrations during mounted situations. It records in .wav format as well.
Intuitive Touch Interface – 2-inch touch display with simplified user interface enables native vertical (portrait) use of camera
Face, Smile + Scene Detection – HERO7 Black recognizes faces, expressions and scene-types to enhance automatic QuikStory edits on the GoPro app
Short Clips – Restricts video recording to 15- or 30-second clips for faster transfer to phone, editing and sharing.
Photo Timer – Countdown timer for convenient selfies and group shots
Waterproof without a housing to 10m (33 feet)
Voice Control – verbal commands in 14 languages
Auto Transfer to Phone – photos and videos move automatically from camera when connected to the GoPro app for on-the-go sharing
GPS Performance Stickers – enables to track speed, distance and elevation, then highlight them by adding stickers to videos in the GoPro app
Touch Zoom – Framing photos and videos with just a touch
GoPro HERO7 Black Million Dollar Challenge
GoPro has thought about an original way how to boost sales of their new GoPro HERO7 Black: They are inviting their customers to participate in this year’s HERO7 Black highlight video. Beginning on September 27th worldwide, users can submit their best raw video clips shot with the GoPro HERO7 Black. The GoPro team will then pick their favorite shots for the highlight reel and award an equal cut of a million dollars to the individuals whose footage is selected. Full submission guidelines and details can be found here.
GoPro HERO7 Silver and HERO7 White Features
Silver shoots video at 4K (3840×2160) up to 30fps, at 1440p (1920×1440) up to 60fps and FHD (1920×1080) at up to 60fps.
White shoots video at 1440p (1920×1440) up to 60fps and FHD (1920×1080) at up to 60fps.
Silver has built-in GPS to track the speed, distance and more.
10MP photos.
waterproof to 10M (33 feet)
built-in battery
2″ LCD touch screen with intuitive UI
no front monochrome display
built-in electronic video stabilization
shoot vertically
photo timer
touch zoom
short clips
share directly to Instagram story with GoPro app
voice commands
auto-transfer to phone
QuickStories enabled
auto-backup to the cloud
Price and Availability
The GoPro HERO7 Black costs US$399, the GoPro HERO7 Silver costs US$299 and the GoPro HERO7 White’s price is US$199. All cameras are available for pre-order today and will start shipping on September 27th.
What do you think of the new GoPro HERO7 Black? Are you a GoPro user? Let us know in the comments below.

The Panasonic FT7 (announcement here) (in the US it’s called LUMIX TS7) is the latest member in Panasonic’s arsenal of photo cameras that can shoot video. With a super rugged body, 4K video capability, 4.6x optical zoom lens and optical stabilization system, EVF and rear LCD screen, there was a lot to look forward to. Despite its small sensor size, Gunther Machu, our cinema5D action-cam specialist, took it for a spin and here is his report. (The video above was taken with a Panasonic FT7 Pre-Production model).
Panasonic LUMIX FT7
When Johnnie approached and asked me to review the Panasonic LUMIX FT7, I had sort of a flashback. It reminded me of the fact that I owned a Panasonic LUMIX TZ5, which was the first HD capable video camera I ever had. This was 10 years ago (if you are curious have a look at the little piece I shot with it in 2009, please click here).
Back at that time, it was revolutionary to pack a 10x optical zoom lens, HD video and a decent rear screen into a very tiny package. Fast forward to present time and we have the Panasonic LUMIX FT7 on our desk, which can record 20MP photos and video in different resolutions and frame rates (up to 4K 30 frames per second), but the real deal here is its durability. By introducing such a robust camera, Panasonic is aiming to capture the attention of users who are looking for a tool to shoot under harsh environment conditions as the LUMIX FT7 is prepared for it all: Water, cold, dust, pressure & shock. You can use it 31m /102 ft underwater, no problem. You can drop it from up to 2m / 6.6ft. It’s dust-proof for all kinds of outdoor applications without having to worry about it. It can withstand freezing temperatures as low as -10°C / 14°F. Plus, you can put up to 100kg / 220lbs on top of it without cracking the camera. Stuff it deep down your bag and load all kinds of gear onto it, no problem. Those specs looked interesting enough for me to take it for a spin over the weekend and I’m happy to share my finding with the community.
Things I’ve Noticed Upfront
The camera feels very solid. Build quality is really good and the knobs are responsive. On the image side, the photos are OK (I had expected more from a 20MP sensor, no RAW setting available) but as this review is all about video, let’s concentrate on the 4k video coming out of it. In general the “out of the box” picture quality is fine and the colors are nice! What is disappointing however is the crop the camera performs when recording 4k images. The 28mm full frame equivalent focal length becomes an effective 40mm lens at the widest setting.
Also, the optical image stabilization does not work very well at all focal lengths of the zoom lens. Handheld static shots are possible, but if you start moving the camera an unnatural motion can be the result, also rolling shutter is quite pronounced.
Furthermore, there is no filter thread on the front lens (Or lens outer ring to be precise), hence you have no means to mount an ND filter on the camera in order to reduce the shutter speed and create motion blur for more fluid images.
LUMIX FT7 – Nice lens ring, why no filter thread?
Outdoors
It is an outdoor camera hence I took it along on a ride with my mountain bike. Compared to a GoPro Hero6 it feels heavy and massive (I’m writing this for fact as this is not necessarily a bad thing). On the other hand, whereas the GoPro Hero6 quite magically creates a fluid image with its digital IS, aided by the ultra wide lens, the Panasonic FT7 optical image stabiliser fails to deliver on a bumpy ride.
On top, other than the 5.5mm tripod mount at the bottom, no other mounting options exists for the LUMIX. On the bike, the lens is simply not wide enough and also the slow-motion feature is limited to 720p at 100 frames per second without sound. Speaking of sound, you get the typical unsatisfying action-cam sound with this camera, no more, no less. Have a look at the video and see (hear) for yourself.
In the Pool
Basically nice to have a camera that you can take into the water with you. The cropped image in 4k is very limiting however, and becomes even worse underwater because of the different refractive index leading to an effective full frame equivalent of about ~1.4*40 = 56mm. Hence, wide shots are difficult to achieve.
At the Palace (Schönbrunn)
To cover the „do-it-all“ touristic part, I went to Schönbrunn Palace here in Vienna and took some beauty shots. I even had a slider with me in order to make my footage look more appealing and in this kind of artificial scenario the camera performed well. It is worth mentioning the macro mode, I really like how it as it letting you get as close as 5cm to your subjects in the wide setting of the lens.
LUMIX FT7 – Field of view in 4K
LUMIX FT7 – Field of view in HD 1080
Panasonic LUMIX FT7 key features: (in no particular order)
A truly robust camera!
Nice images out of the box
Nice colors
Great Macro capabilities
One can dive up to 31m with it with no additional housing or case
Panasonic LUMIX FT7 main cons: (in no particular order)
No ND thread (The absent of ND makes it very difficult to work in “M mode”
Huge crop factor when shooting video in 4K video mode. (In iA mode what you see is NOT what you get. The preview shows a non cropped image but when pressing the REC button the image “jumps” and being recorded cropped. You can overcome this by shooting in “M” or “P” modes, then the framing on the LCD is the same as the recorded one (Cropped picture)
Very limited aperture settings in “M mode”
Very noticeable rolling shutter effect
No manual focus or real exposure control. (In all shooting modes “exposure steps” are very noticeable)
Picture on the LCD screen in a sunny daylight is very hard to see
EVF leaves a lot to be desiered
OIS is not doing a very good job
Image on the far end of the video zoom is extremely soft
Hi frame rate can be recorded in 720p resolution only
LUMIX FT7 – No fear from water
Summary and Conclusion
The Panasonic LUMIX FT7 is certainly a rugged outdoor travel companion that can do it all, whether you take it to the mountain, a sandy beach or underwater. But can it do it well? It sells for about $450, which is a considerable amount of money. For the price it offers a lot of features, great robustness, nice picture and colors out of the box, but I am still struggling somewhat to define the sweet spot and who it is for. A 40mm wide angle in 4k as a starting point, no lens filter thread, a viewfinder that leaves a lot to be desired and a rear LCD screen that barely can see in direct sunlight are quite limiting. In addition, the lens when zoomed in all the way to 128mm is quite soft. The underwater capabilities are nice but keep in mind the additional underwater telephoto effect.
Music by Art list: Theme: Streets by Ziv Moran
Can you see the Panasonic TS7 / FT7 camera serving you well while traveling or when filming under tough conditions? Share your comments with us below.

The market for small action cams has become highly competitive these days, with a lot of Chinese manufacturers competing with a very low price against the leader – GoPro. And here’s another new contender from China – Apeman TRAWO.
Apeman TRAWO Action Cam – a GoPro contender?
Impressive Specs and Body Looks Like a GoPro
When I looked at the specs of the new Apeman TRAWO cam, it caught my attention as it lists an f1.8 lens and a Panasonic image sensor. Which is quite different to most other action cams which typically use an f2.8 lens and a Sony image sensor.
It shoots up to 4k30p (no 24p or 25p mode), 2.7k30p, 1080p60 and 720p120.
Note: on the Apeman website the cam claims to have a 2.7k60 and a 1080p120 mode, which is not available on the model I tested (A100 with the V2.1.0.1-A firmware) – I asked Apeman via email and they confirmed my finding – apologizing for this error. I do not know if those modes will be included in the future.
Apeman TRAWO Findings
Hence, I took it for a spin on a sunny afternoon in Vienna. Here are my findings:
OK build quality, lots of accessories included
needs a waterproof housing (included), which typically destroys audio quality
4k30 mode is very detailed and nice
quite contrasty image, no „flat“ look available
all other modes lack detail, e.g. the 1080p60 mode doesn’t look like full HD at all
electronic image stabilization works quite well, but it crops the image significantly (20%)
audio is as good or bad as with other action cams
battery life is so so. After 30mins of shooting the battery symbol turned red
GoPro Hero 6 Black Comparison
Of course this is an unfair comparison, as the GoPro Hero 6 costs 430€ (~515USD), which is four times as expensive as the TRAWO. However, I wanted to see how close the TRAWO gets to the leader of the pack feature and image wise:
GoPro Hero 6 Black:
wider field of view than Trawo, but both have fisheye lenses (which I personally do not like)
comparing the lenses, I am not so sure if the f1.8 claim of the TRAWO is true – the GoPro (with an f2.8 lens) shows much less motion blur at the same setting, indicating a higher shutter speed (hence a faster lens) → should be the other way round actually.
build quality is so much better on GoPro, also has a touch screen
no waterproof housing needed → better audio quality
offers much more framerate options, including 4k60, 2.7k120 and 1080p 240 frames per second
electronic image stabilization works phenomenally, and crops the image by only 12%
much better image overall, having a protune „flat“ mode which retains highlights much better
battery was still at 50% when TRAWO battery symbol turned „red“, indicating a near shutdown
Aliasing in the 1080p60 modes between GoPro Hero 6 and APEMAN Trawo compared.
Regarding resolution and dynamic range, the below image shows a much better highlight handling of the GoPro, and the image detail as well as resolution in the 1080p60 mode is also way better.
Last but not least, for me an action cam should also provide a detailed high framerate mode. The maximum offered by the TRAWO is a 720p 120 frames per second mode. The next higher resolution offered is a 1080p60 mode. Here the GoPro shines with its 2.7k120 and 1080p240 modes.
Conclusion – not a GoPro, but very Attractive Pricing
All in all, the TRAWO offers quite good value for the money, also considering all the accessories which are included. I am still amazed how far technology has progressed – getting a 4k cam for about 100€ is mind blowing. Their Indiegogo campaign only just started, but it is refreshing to see an existing product already – the one we tested was definitely a finished product and not unfinished crowd funding hype (as happens so often)
At the end of the day however, what counts for me in the action cam market is the image quality and the offered framerates. And here the clear winner is the GoPro Hero 6 Black.
What do you think about the Apeman TRAWO? Have you been looking for a budget action cam lately, and is this camera for you? Let us know in the comments below.
Music Credit:
Band: Lathé Swing
Song: Swing 39
(Creative Commons License)

ON Semiconductor – a Fortune 1000 semiconductor supplier company – announced new sensors that provide 4K resolution, global shutter and high frame rates in a 1-inch platform.
As stated in the press release, “The X-Class image sensor platform enables a new dimension in camera design by supporting multiple CMOS pixel architectures within the same image sensor frame. This allows a single camera design not only to support multiple product resolutions, but also different pixel functionality, such as larger pixels that trade resolution in a given optical format for higher imaging sensitivity, designs optimized for low noise operation to increase dynamic range and more. By supporting these different pixel architectures through a common high bandwidth, low power interface, camera manufacturers can leverage existing parts inventory and accelerate time to market for new camera designs”.
Design flexibility
According to the product blog, this technology has the potential to allow camera manufactures the privilege to bring new camera models to market. That would be a clear competitive advantage.
1-inch sensor, 4K resolution, Global Shutter and 120 fps
There are two initial sensor designs in the X-Class family: the XGS 12000 and XGS 8000. Both of them share similarities regarding performance and specs.
The XGS 8000 is a 8.8 Mp (4096 x 2160) 4K / UHD resolution Global Shutter CMOS image sensor in a 1/1.1-inch optical format, supporting up to 120 frames per second readout at full resolution. The XGS 1200 is a 12.6 Mp (4096 x 3072) CMOS image sensor in a 1-inch optical format, supporting up to 90 frames per second readout at full resolution.
Dedicated to small cameras
The package design and low power footprint make the device compatible with a 29 x 29 mm camera footprint, which means that this platform can suit small cameras (action cams more likely).
The combination between the 1-inch sensor and a small camera is not so rare, and was demonstrated in the Sony RX0 model, which we reviewed here. The size of the sensor can dramatically upgrade the video quality even in small action cams.
The XGS 12000 and XGS 8000 will begin sampling in Q2 2018, with production availability scheduled for the Q3 2018.
Possible potential implementations
Just imagine an action camera that has the capabilities to shoot 4K at 120 fps and with a global shutter… This technology can open more possibilities for us filmmakers in regards to action shooting when small cameras are needed. Maybe GoPro should check out this new sensor technology. It could be nice to see a joint venture here.
What are your thoughts about these new sensors? Do you see future implementations by established camera companies? Let us know in the comments section below!

GoPro released its preliminary fourth quarter 2017 report, which reveals that the company is in tough shape. It is firing hundreds of employees and will also exit the drone market.
Just when it seemed that GoPro was back on the horse again, the company has been facing a significant struggle in an ultra competitive market that lead to low sales, layoffs and the termination of the production of the Karma drone.
The company shares were down more than 25% yesterday and have recovered slightly since. This is tough to see, especially for a company which was once a stock market darling. Now practically all their business is still reliant on the segment of action cameras, which is also heavily under pressure.
Bad Karma
The Karma drone proved to be an expensive and failed adventure from the day it was born. It caused the company a lot of pain, as technical issues and acute malfunctions even resulted in drones falling out of the sky. GoPro executed a mass recall, but then came the DJI Mavic Pro which completely defeated Karma in almost every aspect, and at a lower price point.
Overview of their Q4/2017 report’s main key points:
GoPro is reducing its global workforce from 1,254 employees as of September 30, 2017 to fewer than 1,000 employees worldwide.
GoPro founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman will reduce his 2018 cash compensation to $1.
Although the Karma drone reached the #2 market position in its price band in 2017, the product faced margin challenges in an extremely competitive aerial market. Furthermore, a difficult regulatory environment in Europe and the United States will likely reduce the total addressable market in the years ahead. GoPro claims that these factors make the aerial market untenable and they will exit the market after selling its remaining Karma inventory. They say that they will continue to provide service and support to Karma customers for the time being.
There is no doubt that GoPro is struggling hard to stay in the game. The challenge is not only that DJI seems to act as a main threat to the company, especially in the drone business – GoPro also faces tough competition in the action camera market it more or less created.
GoPro needs to continue to innovate with new products, since the extreme-sport camera line is not enough any more.
What is your opinion regarding the GoPro situation? What do you think it has to change in order to succeed? Let us know in the comments.

The Steadicam Volt is a unique compact stabilizer for smartphones and action cams that was very successful on Kickstarter in the first half of 2017. It is now available for purchase.
We first reported about this product back in January 2017 upon launch of the Kickstarter campaign. The Steadicam Volt was developed by the Tiffen company, a pioneer in the camera stabilizing business, with its line of Steadicam stabilisers now a staple of the industry.
What makes this stabilizer so unique is its construction. Its motor helps it achieve smooth shots, but the Volt is also capable of stabilising without it thanks to the mechanical function of the included counterweights. This can obviously be very handy for situations when the stabilizer’s battery is empty. For certain shots, it is even desired to have that more fluid kind of motion given by a traditional mechanical stabilizer rather than the precise “machine-like” stabilized shots from a motorized 3-axis gimbal. I like the fact that this stabilizer offers both.
Steadicam Volt – Tech Specs
Maximum payload: 100-250 g (3.5-8.8 oz)
Maximum Smartphone width: 58-85 mm (2.2-3.3″) (with or without case)
Compatibility with Gopro via included mount
Rechargeable Li-Ion battery
Image credit: Tiffen.com
During the Kickstarter campaign it was possible to get the first few units of the stabilizer for $120. The final retail price for the Steadicam Volt is now just under $200, with immediate shipping availability.
Do you like the different design of this stabilizer or do you prefer standard 3-axis motorized-only gimbals? Would you possibly like to see a bigger Steadicam Volt for mirrorless cameras in the future? Let us know in the comments below.
Via: Nofilmschool